How to Vote in US Elections Abroad

Young woman voting abroad in US elections

With the US elections coming up, many Americans are asking “How do I vote from abroad?” The answer to this is that you’ll need to register to vote and request an absentee ballot. Luckily, the process is fairly simple and can be done in an afternoon. However, if you are looking to vote in the general election on November 5, 2024, your request needs to be received by October 29, 2024. So, let’s go through the process together!

Filling out your FPCA

First, you’ll need to go to the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) website. Once there, click on the large button that says “Request your ballot now”. This will begin your process of filling out your Federal Post Card Application (FPCA).

From there, the website will ask you for your state of voting residence and your jurisdiction. If you aren’t sure of your jurisdiction, you can find it by going to the US Census website. Search for the area code associated with your US residence and your voting jurisdiction should come up.

Next, you will need to select your situation. If you are planning on staying in France indefinitely, select the option “U.S. citizen living outside the country, and my intent to return is uncertain”.

Once you have selected your situation, you will be asked to fill in some personal information. The exact information needed for this step will vary by state. If you have any questions about your state’s voting requirements/regulations another great resource is the US Vote Foundation.

Next, they will ask for your mailing address to send the ballot to. Your address should follow this format:

Street number + street name

Zip code City

France

Here is an example using our address here in France:

31 avenue de Ségur

75007 Paris

France

At this stage, you may have the option to choose to email your ballot in. If you email your ballot, you are voluntarily waiving your right to a secret ballot.

It is also at this point that you can choose which elections you would like to register to vote in.

Submitting your FPCA

Once you have filled in your form, you will have the chance to review your information. You will then be able to download your FPCA as a PDF. Once downloaded, you will need to print this document then sign and date it in the marked areas. You do not need a notary or witness for this, so you can do it easily at home. If you do not have a printer at home, you can download your documents to a USB stick and print them at any La Poste office. You can also print documents at places like CopyTop or Office Depot.

The last step of this process will be to send in your signed and dated FPCA to your local election official. All US citizens will have the option to mail your FPCA to your local election official via snail mail. Some states will allow you to submit it by email as well.

Your FPCA document will come with an additional instructions sheet that will walk you through these processes. They will also include the proper physical address and (if applicable) email address for you to send your documents to.

Once you have submitted your documents, there is nothing left to do but wait for your ballot to arrive!

FAQs

When will I receive my absentee ballot?

Election offices will send out absentee ballots 45 days before the election. However, if you are receiving your ballot by mail, your ballot’s arrival date will depend on your country’s post system. If you are receiving your ballot by email, you should get it immediately.

For the US general election (presidential election) happening on November 5th, 2024, your ballot will be sent out on September 21st, 2024.

What if I don’t receive my absentee ballot?

If you do not receive your requested ballot by October 6th (30 days before the election), you should use a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB).

What is my U.S. voting address?

f you no longer have an address in the United States, your voting address will be the last address you lived at in your state of residence.

How do I check the status of my application?

Generally, no news is good news with your application. If you have any concerns or questions about your application you can reach out directly to your local election official. Information on how to reach your local election official can be found on the instruction page of your completed FPCA document. You can also find that information on US Vote Foundation’s website